Mr Slipper stood aside on Sunday after a young male staff member, James Ashby, filed a complaint in the Federal Court of sexual harassment by the Speaker, which included details of lewd text messages and ­conversations.

The complaint also included allegations that Mr Slipper had handed over blank Cabcharge dockets to an ­unidentified driver in Sydney in Mr Ashby’s presence.

Mr Slipper released copies of the Cabcharge documents on Thursday night from the dates nominated by Mr Ashby.

“These documents have all been completed by me and are clearly in my handwriting as I said they were,” Mr Slipper said.

“The so-called criminal allegation is a complete fabrication, just as the other claims are not accurate.

“I repeat that I reject allegations that have been made against me.

“I will make a further statement on this matter in due course.”

Earlier, crossbenchers indicated that Mr Slipper was likely to face a ­no-confidence motion if he attempted to return to the Speaker’s chair when ­federal Parliament resumes on budget day, May 8.

Independent MP Tony Windsor said he believed Mr Slipper should stay out of the chair until all matters against him were resolved.

“My advice to him would be to vacate the chair while all these in­quiries are going on and not force it to a vote within the Parliament,” Mr Windsor said. “In the interests of the role of Speaker ... it is probably in the best [interest of] all of us, Peter Slipper included, that he steps aside as these matters are tidied up before resuming the chair.”

Independent MPs Andrew Wilkie and Rob Oakeshott have both said Mr Slipper should not return until all claims against him were dealt with.

With three crossbench MPs likely to vote with the opposition against Mr Slipper returning to the Speaker’s chair until the civil matters are resolved, the government would lose the vote.

Labor backbenchers have also ­questioned whether Mr Slipper should return, even if the Australian Federal Police clears him.

The civil matters involving the claims of sexual harassment could take some months to resolve.

A spokesman for Mr Ashby said: “We believe the AFP should be allowed to continue their criminal investigation unimpeded by speculation.”

The Adelaide-based Archbishop of the Traditional Anglican Communion of which Mr Slipper is a priest and legal adviser, John Hepworth, said on Thursday the Speaker should not act in either parliamentary or church-based roles “until all these matters are resolved”. Archbishop Hepworth will fly to Mr Slipper’s family home in Maroochydore, Queensland, on Saturday to discuss the fallout from the lawsuit with the parliamentary speaker and his wife, Inge.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon said on Thursday the federal government would decline any request to meet Mr Slipper’s legal costs and that no request had been made.

Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce said Parliament needed to “re­invest” in the Speaker’s office.

“We look to reinvest in the dignity of office,” Senator Joyce said.

“I think Bruce Scott [whose seat had been touted as a possible target for Senator Joyce to enter the lower house] would be a great candidate, but I think Harry Jenkins was a brilliant candidate and I ask, why did they remove him?

“I think we have to stop treating the Speaker as some sort of plaything, and I think we have to look for some long-term candidate in a position of honour who can respect the office.

“I mean, people bow to the Speaker when they go into the room and we have to make sure people feel it is proper to bow to them.”

Opposition whip Patrick Secker, who lost Liberal pre-selection for his South Australian seat of Barker last month, has denied reports that he ­considered running for Speaker if Mr Slipper did not resume the role.

There has been increasing anger in the caucus that the Slipper affair may overshadow the budget, and some MPs have suggested there could be a caucus revolt when Parliament returns if the government’s leadership tries to push for Mr Slipper to return to the chair. The government has backed Mr Slipper’s plan to return to the position once the fraud allegations are resolved and before the separate civil action over sexual harassment claims are tested, arguing that many MPs face civil actions but continue to serve in Parliament.

But it appears the most likely outcome is that Mr Slipper will continue to stand aside while the civil matters are addressed, meaning the issue might not come to a head at budget time. Neither the Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, nor the crossbenches have called on Mr Slipper to resign, only to stand aside while the criminal and civil matters are dealt with.

The Australian Financial Review

BY Laura Tingle

Laura Tingle, The Australian Financial Review's
political editor, has worked in the parliamentary press gallery in
Canberra for more than 25 years. Laura has won two Walkley awards and
the Paul Lyneham Award for Excellence in Press Gallery Journalism and
has also been highly commended by the Walkley judges for
investigative reporting.

BY Laura Tingle

Laura Tingle, The Australian Financial Review's
political editor, has worked in the parliamentary press gallery in
Canberra for more than 25 years. Laura has won two Walkley awards and
the Paul Lyneham Award for Excellence in Press Gallery Journalism and
has also been highly commended by the Walkley judges for
investigative reporting.